1. Field
The following description relates to a refrigerator configured to adjust the height of a body independent of the height of a door thereof, and prevent the deflection of a door thereof even when used for a long term period.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus provided with a storage compartment therein to store foods and a cooling device to supply cool air to the storage compartment to keep food fresh. The storage compartment is provided in a form of having an open front side, and the open front side is open/closed by a door rotatively installed on the body of the refrigerator.
The door as such is rotatively coupled to the body by an upper portion hinge and a lower portion hinge of the refrigerator. However, the door may not be disposed at a precise height due to an error during an assembly process or an error during a manufacturing process. In the case as such, an operational malfunction of the door as well as a hindrance to aesthetic beauty of the refrigerator may develop.
Thus, a refrigerator configured to adjust the height of a door thereof is under development. An example of the refrigerator as such has been suggested in Korean patent publication No. 10-2008-0094778 and in Korean patent publication No. 10-2008-0050137.
According to the publications above, the door of a refrigerator is supported by a hinge bracket which is fixed to the body of the refrigerator, and a door rotation shaft is coupled to the hinge bracket so as to enable ascending/descending, so that the relative height of the door with respect to the body of the refrigerator may be adjusted by raising/lowering the door rotation shaft.
However, with reference to the refrigerator as such, in a case when the height of the body of the refrigerator with respect to the bottom surface is changed, the height of the door thereof is also needed to be changed with respect to the bottom surface. In addition, the weight of the door is applied to the hinge bracket, and thereby a deflection of the hinge bracket may occur.